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Q&A: Closing the Loop from Car to Court
Are you getting the most out of your eCitation solution?
If you’re like most law enforcement agencies, you’ve either implemented an eCitation solution or are considering one. You know the value of spending less time pushing paper and more time serving and protecting your community, not to mention the other benefits offered by eCitation systems that can enable your officers to work more safely, improve accuracy, and boost revenue collection.
Most eCitation systems work like this: scan the driver’s license barcode, auto-populate the citation form, print the citation for the motorist, and then electronically send the citation to the courthouse. They also include the same basic components: a mobile printer, software, barcode scanner, and a smart device such as a phone, laptop, tablet, or handheld computer.
However, all eCitation systems are definitely not created equal. In this Q&A, Gary Reichle, Western Region Major Account Manager for Brother Mobile Solutions, discusses the key factors and criteria to keep in mind when selecting, implementing, and updating the legacy components of your eCitation system. With these components in place, you can optimize performance and maximize your ROI.
eCitation systems continue to evolve. The original siloed systems have been replaced with ones that offer broader scope, significantly expanded functionality, ease of use, and reliability. The best-in-class systems capitalize on Bluetooth® wireless technology, USB connections, or Wi-Fi® to provide seamless continuity and integration between the electronic citations issued by officers in the field and downstream processing by the city or county clerk, judicial system, and courts.
Today’s advanced eCitation solutions allow officers to conduct quick, on-the-spot database searches for traffic violations or criminal offenses. In addition to digitally capturing the driver’s signature, photo, or fingerprint, many eCitation solutions can immediately transmit citation data wirelessly to linked entities, such as your agency’s record management system or the court system.
The best mobile printers pack a lot of features and functionality into a compact, ergonomic package. The printers need to fit easily into a vehicle, motorcycle, or bicycle, and be lightweight enough for officers to carry on a belt or shoulder strap for extended periods.
They should to be able to print high-resolution documents from virtually any smart device. Printers should be compatible with all major operating systems and interface seamlessly with the software solution you’re using today — or may switch to in the future. It’s also important to know whether your printer will be ready to use out of the box, or if integration assistance will be required and at what cost.
Of course, printers also need to be rugged enough to withstand rough handling and work dependably in extreme heat, cold, and other tough environments. Speaking of durability, it’s also important to check out the length and performance guarantee of any warranty provided.
Advancements in next-gen printers include faster printing speeds (up to 5ips), longer battery life thanks to smart Li-ion batteries, industrial-grade buttons, enhanced drop protection, active docking, and mobile device management. Device pairing is getting easier, too. For example, the RuggedJet 4200 from Brother Mobile Solutions delivers NFC capacity for easy device pairing and AirPrint® technology that enables officers to print directly from mobile devices without downloading or installing drivers.
Brother Mobile Solutions also includes a custom-developed, cloud-based Mobile Deploy device management app free with all our models. This app helps enable simple, mobile deployment, integration, and upgrades. Along with supporting fast, cost-saving deployment, it helps improve ROI by enabling a centralized IT or operations rep to remotely manage device updates in the field.
Innovative vehicle mounts from Brother Mobile Solutions enable officers to dock and mount the printer while allowing passthrough USB power to charge the battery. In addition, battery chargers with status LED, and smart, high-capacity batteries that display battery life status and provide low-battery alerts are a plus for on-the-go officers.
Whether officers are in a patrol car, on a motorcycle, on a bicycle, or on foot, a wide range of vehicle mounts, hot-mounts, and carry case options support mobility and ease of use as well as protect the printers.
Ease of use and versatility matter. Make certain that your printer’s paper is easy to change in the field. The process should be a two- to three-step process that requires only a few seconds of an officer’s time. Also, top public safety applications for eCitation systems go well beyond printing violation notices to include parking violations, accident/crime scene information, emergency instructions, evidence labels, inspection reports, and warning notices. Compact models such as the RuggedJet 4200 can print smaller format documents from 1″ to 4″ wide. Other applications may require full-page mobile printing capacity, uniquely provided by the PocketJet 7 full-page printer from Brother Mobile Solutions.
Both the RuggedJet 4200 and PocketJet 7 series are thermal printers, eliminating any worry about running out of ink or toner.
Several have been documented. For example, eCitation systems can increase officer safety by slashing dangerous roadside ticketing time. Also, significant quantities of handwritten tickets are dismissed due to illegibility, which nationally, can add up to millions of dollars in lost revenue every year.
In addition, by dramatically reducing the administrative cost of issuing and processing citations while also increasing revenue collection, law enforcement agencies can see a fast return on their eCitation solution investment. As public agencies and municipalities face increased pressure to do more with less, that matters more than ever.
Gary Reichle is the Western Region Major Account Manager for the Public Safety division of Brother Mobile Solutions, a high-growth division of Brother which provides innovative mobile and label printers and market-leading solutions to the public safety, home healthcare, route accounting, field service, manufacturing/warehouse, and retail industries. He has been with the company for over 10 years.
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